Stetson Captures Win at McGeorge's 10th NETC

Stetson University emerged victorious from a strong 22-school field at McGeorge School of Law's 10th National Ethics Trial Competition (NETC) held March 17-19 at the Robert T. Matsui U.S. Courthouse in Sacramento.

Stetson, whose trial advocacy program is ranked No. 1 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, also walked off with top individual and Most Professional Team honors. Buffalo finished second while Emory and Fordham tied for third place in the event, which was established in 2006 at McGeorge to promote ethical and civility awareness among future trial attorneys. Students Tanner Puryear, Jose Parra, Riha Pathak, and Kyle Chin, under the direction of coaches David Norton, '13, Teal Ericson, '14, and Tiffany Wynn, '14, represented the home team.

"It was another outstanding NETC event, thanks to our sponsors and the tremendous support of the Sacramento legal community that we get every year -- this year 110 attorneys and judges served as evaluators," said Professor Jay Leach, director of McGeorge's Trial & Appellate Advocacy Concentration Program and NETC administrator. Leach also wrote this year's competition problem, which turned on claims for legal malpractice arising out of an attorney's alleged incompetence due to active alcoholism, medical conditions, and medications.

A star-studded panel judged the final round of the tournament. It included Judge Connie Callahan, '75, U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals; Judge Morrison England, '83, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California; Justice Louis Mauro, California Third District Court of Appeal and President, Anthony M. Kennedy American Inn of Court; Arthur Scotland, '74, retired Presiding Justice, California Third District Court of Appeal; and Dominique Pollara, Principal, Pollara Law Group and past President, Sacramento Chapter, American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).